Technology is certainly not my area of greatest expertise, although I find the possibilities very exciting. I'm learning fast, and my skills improve daily as I struggle to solve issues with the students. It's taken years to develop a reliable computer lab and troubleshooting and keeping the equipment in working order now takes much less of my time. Some schools ask students to sign in for computer use, to sign out a mouse and return it or use the Insight to closely monitor what students are doing online. I explain our expectations to Scholarship prep classes and the incoming Grade 8s in September and have found that this works in our school. The students seem to self monitor computer usage. I encourage students to report any computer issues so I can try and fix them immediately. I have very few issues with vandalism or improper usage.
Theft and Nuisance - How do you keep the PC computer keyboards, mice, and monitors from disappearing, migrating or being switched about by students with too much time on their hands?
Here's a tip shared by the SFU computer department folks. Purchase a set of identical small padlocks all keyed to the same master key. For each computer gather the cable from the monitor, mouse and keyboard in the shaft of the padlock before closing the padlock through the metal loop located at the back of the monitor. Locking up the cables prevented damage when vandals broke into the school library and tried to trash the computers - the computers monitors couldn't be thrown off the tables because all the cables were hooked together making things unwieldly.
Lock all cables together to thwart vandals
Repair Issues - Give each computer a number. (See photo.) You could print these off and use scraps of mac tac to affix them to the computer where the numbers can easily be seen. The number can be quoted when doing repair work orders. You can print off the IT work orders and stick them in a binder to keep a paper trail of issues. This can help you to track concerns and determine which monitors or towers to replace first.
Academic Use Only - Print off "This computer is for Academic Use only" onto a label maker strip and affix along the top of the monitor screen. (See photo.) Keep a few extras on hand in case the students remove the original label. This note just underscores that our computers are not for playing games when others need them for school projects.
Cleaning - Especially in cold and 'flu season, I try to regularly wipe down the keyboards and mice using a cloth, a bucket of hot water, and a spray container of Lysol Orange scented cleaner. At the same time, I wipe off the screens with a separate screen cleaner. It's not my job, I know, but the students really appreciate it. In any case the library smells clean. You can also use a pressurized can of air to blow out the guck under the keys of the keyboard.
Login Directions - Students may forget how to login to computers or save their documents on the server. By the circulation desk, have a little slip of paper outlining the steps to save you repeating the directions over and over.
Baskets - Place small baskets with a golf pencil and scrap paper at the top of each computer so that students can use these if they need to write down a phone number, note a Dewey number, or record some information they've found online. (See photo.)
TECHNOLOGY
Technology is certainly not my area of greatest expertise, although I find the possibilities very exciting. I'm learning fast, and my skills improve daily as I struggle to solve issues with the students. It's taken years to develop a reliable computer lab and troubleshooting and keeping the equipment in working order now takes much less of my time. Some schools ask students to sign in for computer use, to sign out a mouse and return it or use the Insight to closely monitor what students are doing online. I explain our expectations to Scholarship prep classes and the incoming Grade 8s in September and have found that this works in our school. The students seem to self monitor computer usage. I encourage students to report any computer issues so I can try and fix them immediately. I have very few issues with vandalism or improper usage.
Theft and Nuisance - How do you keep the PC computer keyboards, mice, and monitors from disappearing, migrating or being switched about by students with too much time on their hands?
Here's a tip shared by the SFU computer department folks. Purchase a set of identical small padlocks all keyed to the same master key. For each computer gather the cable from the monitor, mouse and keyboard in the shaft of the padlock before closing the padlock through the metal loop located at the back of the monitor. Locking up the cables prevented damage when vandals broke into the school library and tried to trash the computers - the computers monitors couldn't be thrown off the tables because all the cables were hooked together making things unwieldly.
Repair Issues - Give each computer a number. (See photo.) You could print these off and use scraps of mac tac to affix them to the computer where the numbers can easily be seen. The number can be quoted when doing repair work orders. You can print off the IT work orders and stick them in a binder to keep a paper trail of issues. This can help you to track concerns and determine which monitors or towers to replace first.
Academic Use Only - Print off "This computer is for Academic Use only" onto a label maker strip and affix along the top of the monitor screen. (See photo.) Keep a few extras on hand in case the students remove the original label. This note just underscores that our computers are not for playing games when others need them for school projects.
Cleaning - Especially in cold and 'flu season, I try to regularly wipe down the keyboards and mice using a cloth, a bucket of hot water, and a spray container of Lysol Orange scented cleaner. At the same time, I wipe off the screens with a separate screen cleaner. It's not my job, I know, but the students really appreciate it. In any case the library smells clean. You can also use a pressurized can of air to blow out the guck under the keys of the keyboard.
Login Directions - Students may forget how to login to computers or save their documents on the server. By the circulation desk, have a little slip of paper outlining the steps to save you repeating the directions over and over.
Baskets - Place small baskets with a golf pencil and scrap paper at the top of each computer so that students can use these if they need to write down a phone number, note a Dewey number, or record some information they've found online. (See photo.)